DavidLasocki.com

BACH’S FLUTE SONATA IN A MAJOR ARRANGED FOR RECORDER
AVAILABLE NOW

Johann Sebastian Bach’s Sonata in A major for Flute and Obbligato Harpsichord, BWV 1032, is one of the most important chamber works in the flute’s repertoire.

But it has one big problem: 40 percent of the first movement is missing in Bach’s autograph manuscipt. The eminent Bach scholar (and recorder player) Professor Michael Marissen has completed this movement, based on Bach’s style and ALL the clues in the manuscript for the first time ever.

NOW Instant Harmony presents his edition of the flute sonata in a TRANSPOSITION into C major for ALTO RECORDER and obbligato harpsichord. This differs from other people’s recorder transpositions of the work in being taken from his historically informed completion of the first movement.

AVAILABLE NOW as a downloadable pdf from
https://instantharmony.net/product/bach-sonata-in-c-major-for-alto-recorder-and-obbligato-harpsichord-arranged-pdf/

Michael has also reconstructed the original version of this sonata, for alto recorder, violin, and basso continuo in C major. Available from https://instantharmony.net/product/johann-sebastian-bach-trio-sonata-in-c-major-for-alto-recorder-violin-and-basso-continuo-pdf/

And the flute sonata from
https://instantharmony.net/product/bach-sonata-in-a-major-for-flute-and-obbligato-harpsichord-bwv-1032/

We are sad to report that the Brazilian flautist, recorder player, and conductor Ricardo Kanji (1948–2025) passed away today.

Ricardo specialized in the interpretation of Baroque and Classical music. During his 25 years of residence in The Netherlands, he studied in 1970–72 with Frans Brüggen at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague, then became his successor as teacher in 1973–95. Ricardo participated actively in the Dutch music scene, performing with the most significant early music ensembles. He was one of the original members of the Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century, with whom he toured worldwide. After he returned to Brazil in 1995, he created the orchestra and choir Vox Brasiliensis for the TV documentary History of Brazilian Music, which earned him the Best Conductor prize in 1999 from APCA (Art Critics Association of São Paulo). From 2002 until his death, he taught at EMESP (Music School of the State of São Paulo) and performed as a guest conductor in South America, Europe, and the USA.

We at Instant Harmony were happy and honored to be working with Ricardo on a second edition of his Study Program for the Recorder. We now hope to be able to publish it before long, so that people can still learn and improve their playing from his guidance.

As the great 16th-century instrumentalist Silvestro Ganassi once wrote in the epilogue of his Lettione Seconda (1543) (freely translated): “Every work that is brought into the light has something wise in it, and this is because nature operates in everybody. In addition, you need to consider that works are made with no little effort. And I am not talking about the effort of spending five or six or more years to finish a work, but the time that encompasses all the effort the author made in his life. If you consider the fruit that one can acquire from a book, that is the opportunity to learn in a short time the secrets that someone worked so hard to learn during his whole life.” Dear Ricardo, thank you very much for having shown the way and shortened the road for many players around the world.

David Lasocki and Giulia Tettamanti

A “NEW” WORK FOR RECORDER BY JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH!

Can this really be true? A new work for recorder by J. S. Bach?

Yes, in a sense. The eminent Bach scholar (and recorder player) Professor Michael Marissen has reconstructed the original version of Bach’s famous Sonata for Flute and Obbligato Harpsichord in A major, BWV 1032. And what was the original version?

A Trio Sonata for Alto Recorder, Violin, and Basso continuo in C major.

In the process, Michael has uncovered many earlier readings of the music throughout that are reflected in the edition. He has also completed the first movement, which is partly missing in the autograph manuscript of the flute sonata, based on Bach’s style and clues in the manuscript.

Recorder players can now “own” this beautiful music, about 300 years after it was written. A splendid addition to the recorder’s Baroque repertoire!

The earlier readings and the reconstruction should also be of interest to traverso and flute players.